Because of his love for this distinctively American style music, he wanted to go
to the places where it all originated and he decided that the best way to do
that was on a bicycle.

Onzuka enjoyed four days in Memphis and spent much of his
time taking in all that he could in downtown Memphis
listening to music on Beale Street.

“I
just wanted to try traveling the U.S. by my own energy and biking across it seemed
like it would be very challenging, but a good way to do it,” Onzuka said.

For the majority of his 3,000+ mile bicycle trip, Onzuka traveled on the iconic
and historic Route 66 and he visited Monument
Valley Park and
the Grand
Canyon.Even though he really enjoyed the natural
beauty and scenery of these and other places he passed through, he was most
impressed by the friendly people that he has met along the way.

“I have met some very kind and friendly people who wanted to meet, talk, and
even help me.I had a tire with a
puncture in it and I had several people who stopped and asked me if I needed
help.I also had some people who
accepted me as a guest into their home.There was also a man who I met by chance at a rest area near Oklahoma City who invited me to stay at his home. He even suggested that I stay an additional night, which I did, when possible bad weather was in the forecast for the next day,” he said.

Memphis lived up to Onzuka's expectations and he thoroughly
loved the music, the food, and the scenery of the downtown
area.

After almost six weeks of riding, Onzuka was eager to get to Memphis so he could see and
experience the music on Beale Street.He arrived in the city on July 16.

“I especially wanted to come to Memphis and I enjoyed walking around downtown
and Beale Street and listening to the live street music, which I have never
experienced before in Tokyo.I also
visited and enjoyed seeing the Gibson Guitar Factory and the Rock
‘n’ Soul Museum.It was all a
very special experience for me,” Onzuka said.

“In Memphis, and in other places I visit, I like to also take in the
atmosphere, breathe the same air as those who live there, and eat the same food
and drink the same beer as the local people do,” he added.

Even though Onzuka came to Memphis to hear the live
music, he also wanted to take in everything that Memphis
is for those who live in the river city.

After spending four fun and music-filled days in Memphis, Onzuka left on an Amtrak train on July 20 for New Orleans, which he
considers to be “the mecca” for jazz music lovers like him.

“When I got to Bourbon
Street, I was surprised at first by how dirty the street was and how it
smelled.I had imagined an old, historic,
and elegant place like Beale Street and it was different from that.I saw a lot of places with live music and
entertainment, restaurants, bars, and peep shows.I found that it was filled with many ways to
satisfy a person’s desires.In seeing
that, I realized that all of my favorite music has roots in all of this,”
Onzuka said.

“When I went to Beale Street in Memphis, I was really surprised at the wide
variety of live music, which talented musicians played, but the music in New
Orleans greatly exceeded my expectations.Bourbon Street was filled with not only jazz and blues, but also with
fusion, funk, R & B, and hip-hop, which stems from jazz and blues.Incredibly, there was no cover charge.The variety, the musician’s skills, and
number of live music places were great and it must be the only city in the
world for music-lovers like me,” Onzuka said.

Onzuka spent much of his time in downtown Memphis and
especially on Beale Street. In between it and Bourbon
Street, it has been the highlights of his trip thus far.

“Along with the music, I also enjoyed the local cuisine like Jambalaya and the Louisiana Creole food was very rich and tasty.I did get
homesick for some Japanese food so I had a meal there, which was good, but it
was not quite like I have had in Japan,” he added.

Onzuka returned to Memphis on July 23 and set out on his bike headed for Nashville the
next day.He plans to spend a couple of
days there in order to take in the sounds of a place that is known as “The Music
City.”

As difficult as a cross-country trek might be even for the most experienced
and avid cyclist, it was not for Onzuka, who readily admits to being little more
than a novice at it.

Before this trip, Onzuka has not had much experience riding
a bike for long distances, but that wasn't enough to deter
him from attempting a cross-country trip of the U.S. on a
bicycle, which he preferred to do instead of other means
of travel.

“I bought my Surly bike just before this trip and researched and read blogs
about cycling for beginners.I had not done
much training before coming here and I had only ridden a bike as a way of
transportation when I was in school decades before,” Onzuka said.

In spite of not having physically conditioned himself for this long-distance
ride, he was fully prepared with all of the gear that he needed and he has not
had any difficulty traveling, on average, 60 to 70 miles per day so far.

Onzuka has long-dreamed of making a trip to the U.S. and was
extremely happy with having had the chance to go to the
places where the music that he loves originated and is still
being played today.

At about the half-way point of his cross-country adventure, Onzuka says that he
has really enjoyed his experiences thus far, especially with the music and with
those who he has encountered.It is, for
him, a trip of a lifetime.

He hopes
to get to New York City before the end of August.After that, he is considering riding his bike
across Europe, but he wants to see how he feels after his trip across the U.S.
before he commits himself to something as ambitious as that.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Wolf
River Conservancy is working to expand the Wolf River Greenway from downtown
Memphis to Collierville
By:Michael Lander

The existing Wolf River Greenway has approximately 800 users
on their trail each day according to the Wolf River Conservancy.
They use black box technology to count them.

For decades, the Wolf
River Conservancy
has helped to preserve and protect the 14,000 acres of existing land, wetlands,
and wildlife habitat along the Wolf River, which also includes a substantial part of our local
area’s watershed.

They have also strived to connect people to the Wolf River and educate them
about its value as a natural and sustainable resource in Memphis as
well as being a spectacular place for outdoor recreation.

Now, the conservancy, under the leadership of their executive director – Keith Cole, is
leading an effort to provide us with what could be one of the biggest quality
of life improvements that the Memphis has area has seen in recent history.

According to Cole, if all goes according to plan, in five years from now, Memphis
area residents will have one continuous, 36 mile linear multi-use, scenic trail
that will allow runners, walkers, and cyclists the opportunity to travel to and
from the Mississippi River to Germantown and Collierville and back without
having to contend with or worry about vehicular traffic.

Alta Planning + Design is the planning and design firm that the
conservancy has hired to plan, design, and oversee the construction of this
Wolf River Greenway expansion.Charles (Chuck) Flink is the Senior Advisor for this project and he
is considered to be one of America’s best leading planners who has successfully
completed greenways, trails, and open space plans in more than 235 communities
across the U.S.

The Wolf River Greenway, and connecting trails, are popular with
cyclists, runners, and walkers alike.

“Alta is under contract with the Wolf River Conservancy, and is working in
partnership with the City of Memphis, to lead the planning and design for the
Wolf River Greenway.We are also
responsible for the public engagement work and have partnered with Pique and
Archer Malmo, both of Memphis, to complete this work,” Flink said.

“We have a very talented team of local and national firms working with us on
the project, including, from Memphis, ETI Corporation, Tetra Tech, Geodesy, and
THY Inc.The national firms include
Alta, DHM and The Greenway Team in Denver, Colo.Alta will serve as the lead consultant for
all the work associated with this project,” Flink added.

The 18.4 mile westward extension to the existing greenway trail, which
currently ends at Walnut Grove and Humphreys Blvd., will be parceled out into
four segments with construction beginning on each of these at the same time.

“The first four segments of the greenway will be constructed simultaneously.They are located at both ends of the project,
with two segments in the middle.The
goal of this effort is to take on some of the least complicated phases or
segments immediately, and get them built.The entire greenway will be a very high quality project.The trail will be 12 feet wide, and the
surface of the trail will either be asphalt or concrete depending on specific
design requirements,” Flink said.

The original timetable for constructing the Wolf River Greenway trail would
have taken almost 20 years to complete, but the conservancy did a full-court
press to expedite the timeframe on this project and it is now expected to be
done in only five years.

Trails like the Wolf River Greenway are popular with those
who are not comfortable, or feel safe, on the area's
roadways.

“We were challenged to have this trail built in only five years, but we have
been very fortunate to gain some much-needed funding, which has made this all
possible,” Cole said.

Even though an extremely compressed timetable might seem overly ambitious to
some, Flink believes that it is a very realistic target that can easily be met.

“Sure it is ambitious; however, it is achievable.We have already accomplished a lot in the
past six to nine months so we’re off to a good start.We have divided the 18.4 mile project into 16
separate phases and we already have seven phases under design.It is our goal to have all of the remaining
phases designed and ready for construction by the middle of 2016.That gives us about 2.5 years to finish
building the remainder of the greenway,” Flink said.

“We can accomplish our ambitious schedule by awarding multiple design and
construction contracts at one time so we will be simultaneously building
different segments of the greenway across the length of the project.It will seem rather chaotic at first, but we
have a master plan that will come together within the stated five year
timeframe,” he added.

The estimated price tag for the greenway trail is $40 million, most of which
will go toward construction.

“Part of the costs for this project is in planning and design with a
significant portion allocated for construction.The majority of the lands have already been acquired, or are either
state, county, or city owned so this does not factor in to the overall costs,”
Cole said.

The greenway is popular with area residents and other visitors
and is likely to increase substantially after the trail connects
downtown Memphis to Collierville by the year 2020.

“The Wolf River Greenway (WRG) will provide transportation, recreational, and
educational links across Shelby County connecting Memphis with Germantown,
Collierville, and the many other neighborhoods that cross through it.The 26 mile Music City Bikeway (MCB) in Nashville is currently the longest in the State of Tennessee, but the WRG will be much longer when it is fully built out,” Bob
Richards said.

Richards is the Tennessee Greenways and Trails Coordinator and the Tennessee
Department of Transportation (TDOT) contact employee who works in the state’s
Recreation Educational Services Division.

“What is unique to me about the Wolf River Greenway is the unique environment
of the Wolf River and its direct connection to the Mississippi River.Memphis is also a fabulous community and its
location on the Mississippi River is one of the most unique features of the
community,” Flink said.

“The proposed greenway is also unique in that it will extend through what I
have been told has been a traditionally underserved area of Memphis community,
specifically the North Memphis, Frayser, and Raleigh neighborhoods.So it is good to know the quality investment
will be made in these neighborhoods and that residents will have access to the
greenway,” Flink added.

“This project is also unique in how it is being funded.It is a credit to the Wolf River Conservancy
and the Memphis community that so much private sector and philanthropic funding
will be used to build the greenway.We
are forecasting a total project cost of around $40 million.The bulk of those funds are coming from
private sector sources and that makes this project one of the most unique in
the U.S.,” he further added.

Visitors to the greenway and other area trails are
treated to some beautiful scenery, especially
along the Wolf River corridor.

If people are looking for reasons for why they should be excited about this
trail, Flink has more than a few to offer them.

“The greenway is going to open outdoor access to parts of the community that
very few people have ever interacted with.There are parts of this greenway corridor that are stunningly beautiful
and somewhat remote.Most importantly,
the greenway will support an active lifestyle and there is no cost or fee to
use it.It will be open to everyone to
use,” Flink said.

“The greenway will also support long-distance bicycling, walking, jogging, and
other non-motorized uses.It will,
additionally, support the Memphis Farm-to-Table industry.We are also looking at ways in which it will
create employment opportunities, too.So
this is more than simply building a pathway through the woods.It is a catalytic project that will improve
the lives of Memphians through a diverse offering of activities and programs,”
he added.

One of the most positive aspects of this trail may come from the impact that it
might have on improving conditions where there is currently poverty and blight
in the Memphis area.

“We are routing the greenway through some of the more historically underserved
areas of Memphis and our goal is to have a positive influence and impact on
daily lives, employment, investment, and education for everyone,” Flink said.

“This project shows the vision of the leaders in Memphis and Shelby
County.The plans to connect the
greenway with the Harahan Bridge project will put Memphis on the bicycling
map.The Main to Main project using the
bridge as a bi-state connection will be an attraction in and of itself, and
will show Memphis as a place to come and have fun and enjoy the many
opportunities to see the city by bike,” Richards said.

A continuous, linear Wolf River Greenway trail will enable
cyclists to ride from downtown Memphis to Collierville
and many neighborhoods in between.

As stated in the study, the greenway will connect neighborhoods from Downtown
Memphis to Germantown and Collierville and it will provide an access to nature,
to jobs, schools, shopping, restaurants, parks, and other attractions.
Once it is built, the trail system will have a tremendous economic impact.It is projected to generate at least $1.9
million in tourism spending each year, with over $250,000 in tax
revenue.It should also draw tourists as
well as those looking to buy homes or open new businesses.

Memphis currently spends 74 percent less on parks per resident than the other
50 largest metro regions in the country, but this trail may help to turn this
trend around.It should also save money
on transportation costs, savings that can be realized from reduced costs
associated with congestion, collisions, road maintenance, and fuel.

More important than anything, the completed greenway trail should enable
Memphis area residents to get out and live more active, healthier
lifestyles.This is especially needed in
a place like Memphis that has long been identified as being one of the least
fit cities in the U.S.Thirty-five
percent of the adult Memphis area population, (and nine percent of low-income
preschoolers) have been classified as being obese.

Trails like the Wolf River Greenway enhance the quality of life,
they can improve people's health, and can be used for
commuting purposes at a much lower cost than with a
motor vehicle.

There is ample evidence that supports the premise that parks and trails lead to
increased physical activity, decreased healthcare costs, improved air quality,
and it encourages a shift from energy-intensive modes of transportation to more
active modes like walking and cycling.

Even though the conservancy has overcome one of the biggest hurdles and
challenges in getting the extension, which is funding, there are still others
that it continues to face.

“We are constantly making efforts to communicate the mission and goals of the
Wolf River Conservancy, to reiterate how we want to help make Memphis a better
place to live, and to ensure that the public understands the true value of what
the greenway will mean to them,” Cole said.

From Flink's perspective, he sees a different set of challenges that will need to be overcome.

“The biggest challenge is building the greenway with the floodplain of the Wolf
River.We have to design and engineer
the project to withstand the tremendous forces of nature.The project, once completed, will be designed
for periodic flooding,” Flink said.

“In addition, we also have to weave the project through an existing urban
environment, which includes crossing of active railroad tracks and busy
roadways.We need to fit the project
into existing residential neighborhoods.So the challenges involve designing, engineering, and constructing a
greenway trail system within the existing urban context,” Flink added.

As with any major project within a community, public engagement is always
needed and that also goes for the Wolf River Greenway.

The Wolf River Greenway and other trails are an amenity
that Memphis area residents can enjoy at no monetary
cost to them.

“I hope that Memphians will plan to join us for the Wolf River Greenway public
open house meetings, which will be held across the city during the weeks of October
20 and October 25.The goal is to have
residents come to the meetings, view the overall master plan and detailed
design drawings and share with us their thoughts, concerns, and ideas for how
to make the greenway successful,” Flink said.

“We will use a ‘drop-in’ format for all of the meetings which will make it
easier for residents to attend at a time that best suits individual
schedules.We will have a variety of
experts on hand to answer questions and solicit input,” Flink added.

In addition to being a leading greenway planner, Flink is also an author who,
along with Robert Searn, wrote “Greenway:A Guide to Planning, Design, and Development.”The book has been described as an invaluable
source for professionals and citizen activists.

Flink also co-authored another book, with Kristine Olka and Robert Searns
entitled, “Trails for the Twenty-first Century.”It is said to be a step-by-step guide for
planning, design and management of multi-use trails.

“When Bob Searns and I were asked to author both “Greenways” and “Trails for
the Twenty-first Century,” we understood that there were no published works
that offered the ‘soups to nuts’ recipe for creating greenways.Both of us have been very surprised to learn
how successful both books have become.The Chinese have taken both volumes and completed translations that are
now used as textbooks at leading universities, such as Peking University in
Beijing,” Flink said.

The bridge over the Wolf River connects the Wolf River Greenway
to Shelby Farms to the north of it.

“The feedback and response to both books has vastly exceeded our expectations.I also feel that both books have stood the
test of time.They are as relevant today
as when they were first published in the early 1990’s,” Flink added.

Flink will be taking his years of knowledge and experience with him on the Wolf
River Greenway project and is looking forward to this undertaking and working
with the conservancy to make it happen.

“All credit is due the Wolf River Conservancy, with acknowledgement to Keith
Cole and Bob Wenner, and its funding partners, in particular the Hyde Family Foundations, which has been an important supporter of this project.I believe that the original vision for the
greenway dates to the 1980’s so this project has been a work in progress.That is not unusual for urban greenway
projects,” Flink said.

The Wolf River Conservancy was initially founded in 1985 as a grassroots effort
by volunteers to prevent the exploitation and destruction of the Wolf River
corridor.It was later made into a
501(c)3 non-profit that continues to offer the land and the waterway for the
public to enjoy for generations to come.Click here to learn more about the
history of the Wolf River Conservancy.

A fundraising campaign for the conservancy’s Wolf River Greenway will begin in
early to mid-2016, but those who want to support this endeavor do not have to
wait until then to do it.

“People can show their support today by either joining the Wolf River
Conservancy or by making a donation specifically earmarking it to go to the Wolf
River Greenway,” Cole said.

The Memphis area trails can be enjoyed by men, women, and
people from different walks of life, and those who are alone
or with others. The trails can also improve the quality of
life of those who use them, it can generate business, tax
revenue, bring in tourists, offer alternative means of
transportation and it can improve air quality.

The Wolf River Conservancy, according to Cole, will be creating a unique logo
and signage package after the Wolf River Greenway is completed so that those
who are on the trail will know it.

When all is said and done in five years from now, the Memphis area will have one
long, continuous scenic freeway made exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians to
travel on and it will be something that we can all benefit from.

In the end, it should give each of us an opportunity to improve our health and
offer us an alternative means of transportation, and help make us, our quality
of life, and our part of the world a whole lot better.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Bill
McGann is a man who has lived and loved his life surrounded by bicycles
By:Michael Lander

Bill McGann's love of bicycles began as far back
as he can remember. His introduction to
peddle-powered devices was his trike, which
he spent countless hours riding. This photo of
him and his mother was taken in 1953 or 1954.

If anyone loves cycling more than Bill McGann, it might be difficult to
impossible to ever find them.

McGann's love of bicycles, and his passion for them, could not be any stronger
than it is and it began as far back as he can remember.

“Cycling has honestly been a life-long passion, though some of my friends say
it borders on an obsession.Shortly
after I could walk, I got a trike and practically lived on it,” McGann said.

McGann was not alone in his fondness for bicycles and it seems to have been
something that possessed his entire family.

“Bike-craziness ran in my family.My
father loves bikes and when he found a lightweight English bike in the Pep Boys
on State Street in Santa Barbara, where we lived in the 1950’s, he jumped on
it.That was my first bike and on Sunday
mornings we would get up early and ride out of our tract neighborhood to a
beautiful and affluent area called Hope Ranch.The palm tree-lined roads were quiet and those were some of my fondest
memories,” McGann said.

“A few years later, my brother and I got three-speeds from Sears that were made
in Austria by Steyr,” McGann added.

After a few years on a three-speed, McGann was quickly ready to move up in the
world to an even better bike.

“My first ten-speed came one Christmas while I was still in grade school.It was a lugged bike made by Steyr from
Sears.I remember the steel-cottered 42-52
cranks, Huret Allvit derailleurs, Fiamme aluminum clincher rims, AVA bar and
stem, Weinmann side-pull brakes and an ideal leather saddle.I was in business and in heaven,” McGann
said.

Having the ten-speed opened a new world to McGann and it was one that he was
more than eager to explore.

“With a friend, we would go on day-long trips.Nothing gives a young person more freedom and a sense of the possible
like a bicycle.When I turned sixteen,
however, I was seduced by the dark side of the internal combustion engine.But after moving out and living on my own in
my late teens, I dusted off the old Sears Steyr and used it for nearly all of
my transportation.The more I rode, the
more I realized that the passion of my childhood had been rekindled,” McGann
said.

As great as his ten-speed might have been, McGann was ready to move up
something just a little bit better, and finally settled for the best thing that
he could afford.

McGann has visited many places and made many friends in his
lifetime involvement in the world of cycling. He is pictured
with Franco Bitossi in the forefront who won 147 pro races
as well as the 1968 Tour green jersey. Following behind
McGann in the back is Kyle Schmeer of Cycles BiKyle in
Philadelpha. The three were riding in Tuscany (in central
Italy).

“Since I wanted something better, but being as cheap as any human on the planet,
I bought a crashed and straightened Raleigh Super Course frame (3 tubes 531)
and built it with whatever parts I could scrounge.Finding that a joy, but knowing there was
much better out there, I finally bit the bullet and bought a Windsor Professional,
a bike made with Columbus SP tubing and assembled with a complete Campy group,
except for the brakes, which were Universal center-pull,” McGann said.

With his deep-seated love and passion for cycling, it was really no surprise
that McGann was destined to make bikes an even greater part of his life as he
grew older.

“I was working at a gas station, saving up for college, when it came to me that
this was not what I wanted to do in my life.What I wanted was a career in bikes.I had saved $3,000 and decided to open a bike shop in my home town of
Camarillo, Calif.,” McGann said.

With a strong will and determination, McGann said out to make his dream come
true.

“I found that the two local shops had tied up the best brands that included
Schwinn, Peugeot, Nishiki, Raleigh, etc., so I needed something different and
good and I lucked out.One of the scions
of the Maserati car company started a bike business and had several mainstream
Italian bike makers,” McGann said.

“The opening order was for 25 bikes for $3,000 and I needed more money so I
wrote up my business plan and started at the east end of Ventura, Calif., where
I lived.Every banker was nice, but
dismissive.I made my way west until I
literally reached the last bank in town (American Commercial), which was
located just before the town met the Pacific Ocean.Fortunately, the chief loan officer looked at
my handwritten plan and decided that I could pull it off,” McGann said.

After getting the much-needed funds to get started, McGann was in business.

“I signed a lease in a derelict shopping center and started painting and fixing
the place up.After buying a supply of
spare parts and accessories, I was busted, but I was 22 years old and too
stupid to be afraid,” McGann said.

“I opened Bill’s Bike Shop on June 1, 1974 and made money from the first
day on.I rented a room in the back of
an older lady’s house.The store rent
was cheap and I was willing to work from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. seven days a
week.With bike demand plummeting, the
other import shop in town was soon out of business,” McGann added.

Aside from his love for cycling, Bill McGann's true love in life is
for his wife, Carol. The two share a love for one another and
for cycling. This is a photo that was taken of them in thecountry of San Marino.

Years later, he found another love besides cycling and married her.Marrying his wife, Carol, has been, for
McGann, one of the smartest things that he says that he ever did and she also came
with a great business acumen.She came
in and straightened everything up and put the shop on a good, business-like
footing.

With success, the McGanns found a way to expand into other cycling-related
ventures.

“We found there were things our performance-oriented business couldn’t get from
the wholesalers so we started importing a few things.Other shops wanted to buy some of the parts
we were getting for the shop and so a wholesale business was born.We grew it until it was a thriving, healthy
enterprise,” McGann said.

Early on, McGann still was able to find time to ride and racing was a big part
of it.

“When we owned just the shop, I found I was able to ride more and started
racing, eventually earning a Category 1 racing license.I am, and was, a racing nut and for a few
years I could think of nothing else but competing on the bike,” McGann said.

Further growth and expansion was a much-welcomed sight, but it did not come
without a price.

“I spent all of my time exhausted after a week of racing and riding four
hundred miles.As the various businesses
grew, (we ended up with three shops and a wholesale business at one point), I
ultimately had to back off and become a non-competitive performance rider,
content with a hard thrashing on club rides,” McGann said.

As with all things in life, all good things must come to an end, but thanks to
an outstanding manager, the bike shops that McGann had begun has continued to
live on.

“The man managing our shop, Mark Eaton, wanted to do more than manage a shop,
which is not an unreasonable thing for a capable man who had done such a great
job running the business.So, we sold
Bill’s Bike Shop to him and he still owns and runs the shop.It’s still thriving and has just had its 41st
birthday,” McGann said.

McGann held on to the wholesale business, which eventually became Torelli Imports.

“We had our own Torelli frames made and also imported and distributed
Mondonico, Masi, Campagnolo and the other great marques, but what really
thrived for us was the products we imported under the Torelli name.We could have them made to our specs and shop
for price, allowing us to offer them at a great value,” McGann said.

McGann has lived much of his life on and around bicycles. This
photo was taken of him during a trip to Umbria, Italy.

Eventually, because of a series of health problems, McGann relunctantly decided
to sell Torelli in 2007, but it wasn’t the end of his love affair with the
world of cycling.

“Out of the retail end of business and feeling better, I still wanted to live a
cycling life.When I sold Torelli, I
kept the racing data, interviews, etc., that became BikeRaceInfo.com and that’s what I do now.I write and publish cycling books and keep
BikeRaceInfo.com filled with results, interviews, technical articles by some of
the most knowledgeable people in the sport and cycling industry.There are more than 3,000 pages of cycling
info on the site now,” McGann said.

“Running my website is something that I enjoy.I get up early in the morning, turn on the computer, get a hot cup of
coffee, and sit down and go to work.I’m
often plugging away at four or five in the morning and I love it because it’s about
bikes,” McGann added.

McGann still rides as often as he can and he currently owns several different
bikes for whatever type of riding or where he wants to go.

“In 2007, I had carbon and aluminum road bikes as well as two steel road
bikes.I rode them all a lot and found
that each morning when I went for a ride, I generally took the steel bikes,
finding the lighter, higher-performing non-ferrous bikes didn’t have the life
and feel I adored in a good bike.So, I
sold them and kept the EL-OS and FOCO Torellis, both built by Antonio
Mondonico.Those are still my road
bikes,” McGann said.

“For off-road, Richard Cunningham, of former Mantis fame, built me a
lightweight prototype of the steel mountain bike I want to produce and sell for
Torelli.I still ride that work of art
and love it,” McGann said.

“Recently, I had Mike Wolfe at South Salem Cycleworks build me a commuter bike
with saddlebags, fenders, and a front basket.The town I live in now, McMinnville, Ore., is well-suited for bike
commuting.There are wide bike lanes and
the drivers are courteous to a fault toward riders.I feel any day I have to drive is a day
marked with failure so I try to go everywhere by bike.I don’t commute to work because my office is
in my house, but I do all my in-town traveling by bike, whenever possible,”
McGann added.

Even though many years have passed since he got his first bike, McGann’s
affection and love for cycling has not waned.

McGann is passionate about cycling and rides purely
for the fun of it, for his health, for commuting, and
because he believes that it is a much better mode
and environmentally-friendly means of
transportation.

“What I love most about cycling is the freedom and liberation that a bike gives.It is the same emotion I felt as a boy.That hasn’t changed one bit,” McGann said.

McGann’s reasons for why he rides might be the same as it is for many cycling
enthusiasts.

“Riding is good for one’s health.You
can get in an easy hour of aerobic activity by just doing a few short errands
on a bike every day.And, there is no
gym membership to pay plus every errand on a bike, while the car remains
parked, is money saved and less pollution sent into our precious
atmosphere.When one does an honest
accounting of a car’s true cost, a bike really looks attractive,” McGann said.

“A bike-centered life has also been extraordinarily rewarding to me.It has brought me travel, friends all over
the world, a decent living, and several careers, all of which gave me great
joy.I have been lucky to have spent a
life with man’s greatest invention,” McGann added.

If what McGann has done in the world of cycling were not enough, he has, along
with his wife, also authored four books on cycling.

I was simply dissatisfied with the English language books then available on the
two Grand Tours.None had the
year-by-year details that explain and color the races as they grew and
blossomed.Our Tour de France books were
an instant success, prompting us to write the Giro (Tour of Italy) books.We knew they would not have the sales of the
Tour books, but we wanted people to know the magic of Italy’s national tour,”
McGann said.

Today, McGann and his wife enjoy living in the bicycle-friendly town of McMinnville,
Ore., which is north of Camarillo, Calif. where he grew up. The two have continued
to keep cycling a big part of their lives, and, because of it, they will always
feel like they’re in heaven no matter where their bikes take them.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

How
to get started in bicycling, find motivation, and feel safe while doing it
By:Michael Lander

Some things may be as easy as riding a bicycle, but learning
how to ride often takes time, a helping hand, and a set of
training wheels before a child is able to master the
necessary skills in order to ride.

At one time or another we’ve all probably heard something being described as
being “as easy as riding a bicycle.”

Riding a bike may be one of the easiest things that any of us could ever do,
but it never comes about without first mastering the skills of balancing and
steering the bike and getting it to move in the direction in which we want it
to go.

Once we do finally learn how to ride a bike, we never seem to forget how to do
it and it can be the beginning of a lifetime of fun with friends and family or
a quiet and peaceful activity we do alone.It can
also be a great workout and way to stay healthy and it can provide one of the
best ways to take in the scenery and it is an inexpensive way to travel in and
around town and beyond.

As easy and enjoyable as riding a bike might be, we can sometimes become
distracted by other interests and demands in our lives, we can lose the motivation
to ride, or we can become apprehensive about riding because of any perceived
dangers, especially when riding around on our Memphis city streets.

None of these things, however, need to stop any of us from riding unless we let
them.

For those who are thinking about returning
to cycling, and rekindling all that they may have once loved about it, the
biggest roadblocks may come from not knowing what bike to get, how to get
started back into cycling, or how to avoid and reduce the risk of injuries as a
result of an accident.

There are a multitude of bicycles on the market to choose
from including low-riding recumbent trikes, which some
cyclists prefer for their comfort, but because they are
low to the ground, they are best suited for paved bike
trails.

These roadblocks should not ever be enough to deter anyone from riding and there are
things that can be done that could get you out riding and enjoying it with the
thousands of others who regularly ride in and around Memphis.

The first step for anyone who wants to start back into riding is to make sure
that you get the right bike for whatever type of riding it is that you want to
do.

There are many different types of bikes to choose from that are available today
and some can be used for multiple purposes.Here is a detailed list of bikes that you will find and the local area bike shops where you can buy one.

If riding through fields and woods on dirt or gravel trails appeals to you,
then it is a mountain bike that you’ll want to get.If you’d rather ride on paved roads or
trails, then you have a choice of many different bikes like road bikes or
hybrids and more.If you’re looking for
a bike to commute or to run errands, then you might want to consider a touring or a
utility bike.

There are other bikes that are made for racing and/or for triathlons, but these
are not usually the ones that most people get when they are just getting into
cycling.They are often very expensive
and are typically a bike that a more seasoned and experienced cyclist will get
after they decide to take their cycling to a more competitive level.

Bicycles can serve different purposes for different people
with numerous options to meet the specific needs of
everybody.

Whatever type of bike that you wish to get, be sure to shop around and take
several bikes out for a spin before you purchase one.

After picking out the right bike for you, it is important that the bike that
you get is the right size and properly fitted and adjusted for your
comfort.A bike that is not comfortable
for you will only ensure that your bike-riding experience will be short-lived.

After addressing the issue of comfort, the next step is knowing how to actually
get started in riding.

Any time that you can spend reading, watching videos, and learning from those who have some
experience in cycling can be an enormous help to you.After that, the best way to find things out
is to learn by experience, yourself.

Once you do start riding, it is best if you take it slowly and not expect too
much all at once. This should help to
reduce pain and discomfort from sore muscles and it will allow your body to
better adjust to riding.

Avid cyclists typically participate in long-distance or
competitive cycling events and will invest substantially
more than the average cyclist for lighter weight,
more aerodynamic, and more expensive bikes.

Unless you are already in shape, it takes time to acclimate yourself to riding,
but it will come in time if you stick with it.

You can incrementally increase your time, distance, and speed at a pace that
you are comfortable with.Just don’t
expect quick results overnight.

Working out in a gym can help you to further develop the muscles that you need
for riding and spinning or stationary bikes are good if you can’t get outside, but if
you have a choice, riding outside is almost always best.

Being outdoors is one of the best parts of cycling and doing all of your riding
inside doesn’t prepare you as well for cycling events and competitions that
almost always take place outside.Even though it may
help with strengthening your muscles, it doesn’t simulate all of the conditions
that you will encounter out on the roads with having to ride around others and getting used to dealing with the various environmental, meteorological, and
geographical factors.

If you want to do long-distance or competitive riding, you will need to ride
and to train under the various conditions that you are likely to face in those
circumstances.This might mean having to
ride in less-than-ideal conditions, acclimating yourself to extremely warm or
cold temperatures as well.The bottom
line to be successful at this, you need to ride long, ride hard, and ride
often.

Cyclists can turn to spinning and/or stationary bikes to
get into shape and strengthen muscles, but riding
outside can better prepare them for long distance
and competitive events. For most people, being
outdoors is more enjoyable and fun and there is no
substitute for that.

Like so many other things in life, getting better at cycling requires staying
motivated.It can help if you set goals
for yourself and to have friends and family who you can ride with and who can
support and encourage you along the way.

Other than knowing how to get started with riding, it is always important to
know and do what it takes to be safe.

Safety is a legitimate concern, as it should be, for anyone who rides on any of
the Memphis area roads, but cyclists can take a lot of precautions that will help
minimize some of the risks that come with doing that.

This includes always being aware of what is going on around you, following the
rules of the road, wearing a bicycle helmet, being visible with bright and/or
reflective clothing, having lights and reflectors on their bikes, and always
being predictable.

Safety is something that cyclists should always think about
when they ride, especially when they have children riding
with them or when they have them in an attached child
trailer. Areas with little or no vehicular traffic and bike
trails are often the best options in these circumstances.

Since not all vehicle operators know about the 3-foot law, and some may simply
not adhere to the required minimum clearance between them and a cyclist, you
will occasionally have some drivers who will come closer to you than they
should.

If you don’t have a shoulder or bike lane to ride on, it may help to reduce
this from occurring by riding slightly away from the edge of the road to force
motorists to move further over and having a rear-view mirror on your helmet or
bike can help you see them coming up on you.

In spite of all the talk of bad drivers in and around Memphis, the number of
serious accidents where police reports have been filed, involving cyclists and
motorists in our area, is extremely low, in comparison to many other large
metropolitan cities in the U.S.

About Me

I am a long-time resident of Memphis, Tennessee. I had a long active duty military career and I am now a student at the University of Memphis. I am married to a native Memphian who is a retired Memphis City School teacher. When I am not busy, or in school, you will likely find me out riding my bike or jogging around my East Memphis neighborhood. If you would like to learn more of my passion for cycling, you can follow me on twitter at - https://twitter.com/memphiscyclist, or you can check out my cycling website - http://memphiscyclist.com. If you have any questions or comments about my blogs, my website or about Memphis cycling, please feel free to contact me at mikel5061@yahoo.com.